PUBLIC FORUM SUBSIDIZING OSCAR.

Re "Oscar parties give L.A. hangover" (March 7): Why should we citizens who work so hard to make a living subsidize the Tinseltown bashes? No other industry generates the kind of income the entertainment industry does. With our city deficit, I don't consider this money well spent. L.A. is bursting at the seams, with no money to take care of our current needs.

When my organization needs additional security, we hire off-duty police officers. Why is the entertainment industry exempt from paying its own way? If every motion picture and television star made $1,000 less per year (from their $50,000 and more per episode or $60 million or more per movie) these expenses could be covered, probably with money left over. Come on, Hollywood, step forward and cover your costs.

- Ellen Fremed

Northridge

Academy costs

Re "Oscar parties give L.A. hangover" (March 7):

Regarding the article about Los Angeles absorbing $1 million in costs due to the Oscar show, I'd like to point out that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences pays the city well over $1 million yearly to cover security costs - police and fire. In addition, the academy spends over $20 million to put on the televised Oscar show each year - with almost all of that money spent locally.

In addition, the academy will be investing over $200 million to build and maintain a museum celebrating the history of motion pictures and will build the facility here in Los Angeles. This project alone will create thousands of high-paying jobs, both in construction and in the maintenance of the museum and will help bring tourists to our area from all over the world.

- David W. Fleming

Universal City

Costly events

Re "Oscar parties give L.A. hangover" (March 7):

I found it most interesting that the story of this year's Oscar expenses absorbed by L.A. is about $1 million. How ironic is it that the story continued on Page 9, right alongside a picture of levees overflowing in Schellville, Calif.?

- Cathy DuVall

Winnetka

Call that a song?

Songs like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "When You Wish Upon a Star," and "Love is a Many Spendored Thing" were among the many great songs with unforgettable melodies and classic lyrics that were Oscar winners in the past.

Now, we add to this list a rap "song," if you want to dignify it by calling it a song, about a pimp. Anyone else think our culture is going downhill?

- Don Gately

Valencia

Better questions

Re "Are we evolving? Study says yes" (March 7):

Your front-page poll, "Do you believe in evolution?" made me chuckle.

Why not "Do you believe in race?" next to the racial generation gap article? How about "Do you believe in government efficiency?" next to the county government article? Or even, "Do you believe the Oscars really pick the best picture of the year?" Each of these concepts is far more debatable than evolution.

- Damian Carroll

Van Nuys

Darwin dogma 

Re "Are we evolving? Study says yes" (March 7):

No doubt that there will be evolutionists who will point out this study as further proof that we have evolved from an apelike ancestor. The truth is that all this is saying is that we have the ability to adapt to our environment. We are not evolving. We are adapting.

The writer of the article failed to point out that there is a difference between the two, thus furthering the indoctrination of Darwinism to the unsuspecting. The ability to adapt to different environments shows evidence of an Intelligent Designer. Yeah, you heard me: a Designer.

- Howard Doll Palmdale

Box-office mediocrity 

Re " 'Crash' gets a big boost from Oscars" (Business, March 7):

While your Business section may characterize Lionsgate's "Crash" as having done an "unspectacular domestic gross of $53.4 million," I'll show you dozens of defunct companies that can only dream of having generated such alleged box office mediocrity.

- Bob Wenokur

Stevenson Ranch 

The smell test

Re "Corrupt politics" (Editorial, March 7):

That is so true that whether a politician is Democrat or Republican does not "make a whiff of a difference" when it comes to corruption. What else would you expect when both political parties are dedicated to the same goal: power for themselves. If you want something different, elect a Libertarian.

- Bradley Bobbs

Calabasas

Different lies

Re "Our tangled web" (Editorial, March 5):

It is unfortunate that many individuals don't understand the difference between lying under oath and lying. Lying under oath is a felony no matter what the lie is about. On the other hand, lying is legal in most cases and is practiced by most politicians and many individuals even though it is deceitful.

A president can be impeached for lying under oath but not for lying or poor judgement.

- Bill Zelenka

Granada Hills

Bataan comment

Re "Lakers are be-treyed" (Sports, March 7):

How dare he compare the Lakers season to an event that caused the tortures and deaths of thousands of people. Does he really think that the Lakers having a bad season can even come close to such an event?

My uncle was captured at the age of 17 and was lucky enough to survive the march. And then he was put on one of the hell ships and transported to Japan and was used as slave labor in a steel mill until the end of the war in 1945. I think that was a little harder than playing a game for millions of dollars and trying to make the playoffs. I don't know if Jackson thought he was being funny or just did not think when he made such a comparison, but either way, it showed very poor taste.

- Robert D. Hartzfeld

Van Nuys

Mission of church

Re "Cardinal Mahony" (Your Opinions, March7):

I am a Protestant, a combat vet of World War II who fought against fascism and for human rights, but foremost, I am a child of God who feels compelled to respond to critics of Cardinal Mahony. For centuries, people have made confession to priests with complete assurance that it would go no further. For government to legislate that a priest must violate that trust by identifying those who are illegal aliens would be a travesty.

The mission of the church is to minister to all, giving special attention to the poor, the tired and the hungry (which by the way has always been the American proclamation to the world). Rendering unto Caesar does not mean turning informant.

- Philip Wilt

Van Nuys

Hurray for Mahony

After reading all these letters of readers upset over Cardinal Roger Mahony's sermon, it is obvious to me that his message hit the nail right on the head and it seems that he is not preaching to the choir any more.

Mahony's sermon/message should be printed in the Daily News for all of us to read and listen with our hearts. It appears that many Daily News readers would benefit greatly from his sound teachings and perhaps deter their misplaced anger.

- Victor Ordonez

San Fernando 

Dread consequences

Dick Cheney threatened Iran with "meaningful consequences" if it persists in defying the international community with respect to its nuclear program. Could this mean that the vice president is planning a bird-hunting trip to Tehran?

- Marshall Barth

Encino